Residents of Model Town, Lahore, were awoken with a bang on Monday morning as a car bomb explosion killed 11 people and injured 61 others near the FIA and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) buildings. The blast, according to law-enforcing agencies, was targeting the SIU building where terror suspects are interrogated, and has left an eight-foot-deep crater at the site.
Senior Minister Raja Riaz has already called for the removal of all offices, residential buildings, and interrogation centres used by the security agencies from residential areas in major cities.
Do you live near the site of the Model Town blast? Was your home, or the home of anyone you know, affected by the blast’s proximity? If you live in Model Town, what did you see or hear this morning? Do you think the facilities of security agencies should be moved out of residential areas?
The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Most of the “Security Offices” in the city areas are in fact Torture cells where bearded suspects are subjected to horrendous physical and psychological abuse.
These torture cells run by numerous agencies have turned many otherwise rational people into hardcore terrorist and helped germinate extremist mindsets.
These torture cells have robbed their neighborhoods of peace of mind; and are in effect lightening rods for their victims to even the scores. Therefore they should be located in Military Cantonments away from urban areas.
Not just security offices, take all embassies, mansions and palaces of our democratic leaders out of our cities, make a new city for all these high and mighty so they can travel there without stopping traffic and live there without check points. They have turned cities into a big prison, armed men, check points, gates and barriers, its like living in Gaza.
We dont need armed gaurds around us, take your weapons and guards to that new city and leave us alone.
No, that is a sign of weakness. The Pakistani public is wholeheartedly with the security forces who are martyring themselves for the Pakistani public everyday. Pakistani public is also bravely there in support of the brave security forces of Pakistan and ready to fight shoulder to shoulder and martyr themselves alongside them.
Yes they must be moved in order to save the innocent lives….
When the officials can not halt these attacks, at least they should moved out of residential areas in order to save lives of the innocent people and poor masses. I think problem is that some sensitive departments are using houses and hidden jails in residential areas..so it would be just a wish from us to get rid us. Best regard: english.sunnionline.us and have a safe life!
My question is who is terrorist, it should be definite, because what we all re perceiving is that all the beard people are in this category and who i behind the fact. We need all the information very clear as Pakistani’s.
Lahore has been hit again.
I will repeat what I said before. Punjab is full of militants. Even ‘banned’ groups are walking free with weapons on show.
How ridiculous is that I say. We are fighting a war against terror but allow these militants to dictate terms in the nation’s most populous province. Shame on us!
Sorry didn’t accept your theory.Go and check how many died in lahore twin suicide attacks on friday.
Sorry I do not accept your theory. Go and check that how many died in twin suicide attack in Lahore on Friday.
Sorry didn’t accept your theory.Go and check that how many Army men were killed in Lahore suicide attack on friday.
Really intriguing story, something comparable to this happened to me not too long ago and it pretty much played out in the same way to how you describe it.
Relocating security offices away from residential areas is not a solution. The rulers of Pakistan have opted to confront by use of its military might to kill and quiet down the voices of our own people, the groups that were created by our own rulers for their own use. The leaders of the civilized/democratic nations say and act “in the interest of their nations”. Fighting among factions in our nation is no way “in the interest of Pakistan.” Our leaders must place national interest before personal interest and negotiate peace as civilized democratic countries do in the interest of their nations. The internal conflicts and fighting is generating hate among our people. This is not good for unity of our nation. Please negotiate peace in the interest of Pakistan.
It is sorry to see that how these blasts have been justified in post like this. How come implying ones definition of sharia on masses is the “voice of our own people”. If we are agreeing that those people/groups have been created by the government, then it is government’s responsibility to neutralize them too. We have seen the results of negotiation in the past, I don’t know what losses do we have to bear in order to clear up our thinking.
Trust this would bring some positive attitude.
Ali
Nice post!
They definitely should be. They cannot defend themselves. Society will have to take on. Society has to carry out its own responsibility. After all these terrorists has come from within the society.
Moving security offices out of residential areas will not make any difference, as far as your government keeps on supporting America this problem will continue.
They’ll still attack. We gave them Swat, beautiful land, crippled by them. They just want to takeover and destroy the world with Pakistan’s weapons. Withdrawing from the USA would make the situation even worse. All of our aid will be gone.
That will not make any difference. As far as you are supporting USA the problem will continue.The only solution to this problem is withdraw your support to USA.
Pakistan cannot survive without US support, Indra Ghandhi understood it .We haven’t.We should realise that we do not have enough resources to develop what geographically is the Indus valley. WE never had. We owe a debt of 42 billion dollars to the West.
No doubt we can have a greater say in the alliance with US if we set out own house properly,and manage our economy with greater decentralization and have a Swiss type confederation.But that would require some changes in our strategic thinking.
All this would have been done if Pakistan had stayed on a democratic course.To start off the best thing is to sort out our differences with Karzai government and Northern Alliance. They are the progressive forces in Afghanistan. So Karzai’s visit is most welcome.
Pakistan and Afghanistan should constitute an economic union like BENELUX. That is the only way out for both. Otherwise they will be eaten up by India sooner or later.
Why does Pakistan not receive support from China, the new economic giant in the world (like in Indhira Gandhi’s time America was, indeed)? And why do we not constitute an economic union with India (Afghanistan is so poor, economically). Economics is quite different stuff from politics! For: Ïf you cann’t beat them (India), join them.
Is it possible that from India some companies send ships or boats to ports in Oman and UAE and then these boats are docked in Iran via smuggler roots and bombs driven to terror targets. AND or is it possible that there are specially trained hypnotists living in Oman or UAE where checking can be surpassed and then corruption in Pakistan coasts allows for pick up of bombs materials then taken to targets. Many Indians and Indians with Pakistani passports living in these countries. So trust might be our worst enemy this time, intelligence cannot defeat RAW or double agents or Pakistanis with Zionistic agendas with hypnosis abilities. Is there enough hate in ports that its fine to let go bombs heading to Punjab or any where else because i know there are double agents in UAE working hard to create more countries.
There are police stations all over the cities all over the world. If they are not close to residential areas they would not be able to help when it is urgently required. You cannot keep them out of city surely.
But then there is secret police and secret security agencies. The problem is if they are really secret then they should not be identified by irrelevant people. Their lives, their work, their working places should remain abstract even from their families. But if people and bad guys can easily spot them then instead of “secret services”, “open secret services” would be a better term to explain them and their work.
Its very pathetic to know that delay in implementation causes loss of many human lives and the government seems helpless in safeguarding lives of its citizens. An eye opener for Government to review its policies for its war on terror.
Your article is very nice , Thanks, very interesting article.
Running away from problems can never solve them, In fact it will give a boost to the morals of those involved. Under the present circumstance we need to look directly into the eyes of the terrorist. I agree there could be more casualties in doing so but with proper intelligence, planning and fool proof measures these terrorists could be eliminated. We need a safe Pakistan therefore we need to go all out to achieve this target. Real time intelligence along with quick action will do the most damage to the terrorist. As a nation let us make a pledge to eliminate all terrorism from our soil and make Pakistan a real safe place to live in.
Yes they should be relocated. Every government and military building should be removed from residential areas. It is a security threat and will always remain a threat to the civilians. Politicians should try to live next to government and army buildings and experience what the civilians go through. Our government is not accountable to anyone. Though many requests have been made, no action has been taken… It is funny how our leaders can have an entire road blocked so they can pass through, but can not remove their offices away from residential and commercial areas.
The offices should be moved out of cities, because if security agencies could not protect us they should pack their bags and leave the cities where innocent people live, I strongly believe that offices of security should be out of the city in open fields or in some remote areas.
Lot of families lives in Model Town. My two cousins alone were a block away from the scene. This is the second time and they are really scared to go back to school. My family near Wapda Town heard the blast.
Yes the offices should not be in residential areas.
Why don’t they locate such sensitive offices near provincial or federal minister’s residences or better yet at the president’s and prime minister’s houses since it seems so far the terrorists have not been able to reach those destinations and it remains to be seen if they ever will; I bet they won’t. This way lives of innocent Pakistanis will be spared.